Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter V": A Refresher

A reminder of what to expect from Lil Wayne's long-awaited swansong.

A new report has suggested that Lil Wayne is in sole possession of Tha Carter V masters, which he is withholding from his label, Cash Money, until they pay him what he is owed. It's the latest development in an ongoing battle between Wayne and Cash Money founder, Birdman, who Weezy has accused of holding out on payments (he's also far from the first to make such a claim). Above all else, it's got us thinking about what Tha Carter V actually SOUNDS like all over again. Originally scheduled to be released in 2014, it's possible the LP has changed dramatically in the two years since, or it's been the same files in Wayne's hard drive all along.

Judging by the many interviews in which he spoke of how hard he worked on the album, which was said to be complete in the summer of 2014, we're guessing the material is too great to sweep under the rug -- so we've decided to look back at what we were expecting from the album -- back when it seemed like it actually had a chance of coming out. Click through for a quick refresher on the album that's caused all this controversy. It still seems like it will be worth the wait.

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The 6 songs released in advance found Wayne sounding inspired

Wayne released a number of songs leading up to his album, some marketed as official singles, and others simply to generate hype for the project. One thing they had in common was the focus and precision of Wayne at his best, particularly on the records where he was free to rap in a concept-less, freestyle-like fury ("Believe Me," "D'usse," "Krazy").

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The album was envisioned as two parts

In July of 2014, Lil Wayne confirmed that Tha Carter V would be followed by D.O.A. (Da Other Album), which would house the other half of the material recorded for the project. It was scheduled to drop 2 months after Tha Carter V became available. At this point, Wayne still sounded confident that the album would be out soon. "It might drop before then, in July. [Or] August 25 or something like that?" He also revealed that the project was complete -- "I'm finished, I'm done."

Part 2:

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In October of 2014, Wayne releases a PSA on Tha Carter V, "I recorded so many songs, we had to come up with a way to get all the music out there and not just 13 songs or 12 songs." He then gave fans a glimpse of the songs he'd recorded so far. "Right now, there's like 31 songs and they're missing songs on there, that's the 'tentative' tracklist."

While the video made it very difficult to see the song titles, fans adjusted the brightness of the screenshot to reveal a clearer image, which showed features from a large range of big artists, as well as Wayne's daughter, Reginae. You can take a look at those songs below.

At this point, Wayne revealed a new release date for the "first part" of the album, making it seem as though the project was no longer Tha Carter V and D.O.A., but Tha Carter V split in two. "If I'd have dropped the album today, it would have had to be 12 or 13 songs, and I refuse to do that. The first part of the album will be dropping December 9th, stay tuned for the next part of the album."

Tha Carter V

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“Tha Carter V is about growth, flat-out,” Wayne said in an interview with ESPN magazine. “My thoughts are wiser. I still say what I want to say—it just sounds better and makes more sense. That all comes with growth and maturity."

He suggested that while he doesn't have a specific message in mind, the art should speak for itself. “I never try to send messages through music,” he said. “Music is about self. It’s supposed to be personal, a reflection of me, unless you have somebody writing it for you, and everybody know I’m not that artist. I’m not sending a message because that message may not get across. Whatever message you take from it is your choice.”

He also made the decision to feature his mother on the cover of the album. "I always go with a baby picture," he suggested. "I wanted to go with one with my mama this time...To have my mom on there is more than an accomplishment. It's an achievement."

Like Father, Like Son

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"I personally plan on this being my final solo album, yes, and it's definitely the final Carter album. It's the final Carteralbum. It's stopping at five. I didn't smile when I said it...I plan on it being my final solo album."

Wayne suggested that he was open to contributing to Young Money albums or Like Father Like Son-type projects, but given his recent feuds with Birdman, this now seems far-fetched. However, it seems that he doesn't necessarily plan to stop rapping altogether after the release of C5. "Whenever I have to pitch in for a Young Money album, a Like Father, Like Sonalbum and something like that and maybe something out the blue," he said, adding, "but the way I'm working on this album, it's to me, the way it seems like now, it seems like it'll be impossible for me to work this hard again for anything else."